Aeroplane construction



C. F. WILLARD.

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(9 Qua-M1 APPLICATION FILED JAN-12. 1918.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

C. F. WILLARD.

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I2, I9I8.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED IAII. 12. ms.

1 894 460 Patented Oct. 18, 1921.,

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. WILLARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

ASSIGNOR TO L-WF ENGINEERING COM- PANY, INCL, 0F COLLEGE POINT, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed January 12, 1918. Serial No. 211,471.

To all 70710772177220 concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. WILLARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of city of New York. in the county of New York, and in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Aeroplane Construction, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear. and exact description thereof.

My invention relates particularly to aeroplanes, and has application to construction of aeroplanes of various types.

The object of my invention is to provide an aeroplane construction in which the fuse lage is strengthened in an advantageous manner at different points. A further object is to provide an advantageous supporting means for the tail surfaces. Still a further object is to provide a desirable form of skid construction. Further objects of my invention will appear from the detailed description thereof contained hereinafter.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, for the purposes of illustration I have shown only one form thereof in the accompanaying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of an aeroplane made in accordance with my invention- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a strengthening plate used in the aeroplane;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a hollow beam construction located at the rear end of the skid F ig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section of the fuselage showing a preferred manner of supporting the skid;

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a skid supporting late p Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view showing the position of the tail post attached to the fuselage;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the rear end of the fuselage and attached parts; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional vlew taken through the edge of one of the openlngs 1n the top of the fuselage.

In the drawings, I have shown an aeroplane 1 having, 6. 9., a continuous-surface or laminated fuselage 2 provided with a motor 3 for driving a propeller 4. The

fuselage 2 may have two openings 5 to receive, c. 9., the operators of the aeroplane. The edges of the fuselage 2 around the openings 5 are preferably protected by upholstery 6 (Fig. 9) and a binding strip 6 to strengthen said edges and protect the same from damage and prevent injury to the operators by coming into contact with said edges. Near the front of the aeroplane, in the interior of the fuselage 2, there is preferably a transverse strengthening plate 7 to strengthen the fuselage at this point, and to act also as a support for the motor 3. The plate 7 (Fig. 3) preferably has a peripheral flange 8 for attachment to the interior of the fuselage 2 in any suitable manner. In said plate 7 there are a number of openings 9 where portions of the plate have been cut out to lighten the construction while retaining adequate strength therein. In the center of the plate 7 there is, furthermore, in the form shown a central opening 10 to receive the motor 3 and the apparatus asso ciated therewith. At the sides of the opening 10 there are shown angle plates 11 and 12 to receive longitudinal beams 13 which support the motor 3 at the sides thereof, said beams 13 being shown in Fig. 2 as supported at the front by brackets 14 attached in any convenient manner, a radiator 15 being preferably located at the extreme front of'the fuselage.

At intervals along the fuselage 2, and in the interior thereof, there are preferably provided strengthening ribs 16 which may extend entirely around the interior of the fuselage. At the extreme rear of the fuselage 2, said fuselage is preferably flattened in a vertical plane and provided at the extreme end thereof with a block, such as block 17, Fig. 7 which may have means such as steps 18 at the two sides thereof to receive the laminations of the fuselage 2 to which the block 17 may be attached in any suitable manner such that the block becomes continuous with and comprised in the fuselage. At the rear end of the block 17 there is preferably a cylindrical recess 19 to receive a tubular tail post 20 which may thus become a part of the fuselage and may be secured to the block 17 by means of bolts 21. Said tail post 20 may extend above the top of the fuselage 2 and into the interior of a preferably triangular vertical fin 23 (Fig. 2) and near the two ends of the tail post 20 there are preferably provided hinges 24 and 25 carrying a rudder 26. The rudder 26 may have two laterally directed arms 27 (Fig. 8) to which may be attached cables 28, or the like, leading into the interior of the fuselage, so that by the movement of the same the position of the rudder 26 may be changed. At the two sides of the rear end of the fuselage 2 there may also be provided a pair of stabilizer planes 29 and 30, to the rear edges of which may be attached hinges 31 and 32 to pivotally support elevators such as 33 and 34. These elevators are shown as provided respectively with pairs of arms and 36, to which may be attached cables 37, or the like, which may extend into the interior of the fuselage 2, in order to enable the operator to change the position of the elevators 33 and 34 at will.

Near the rear end of the fuselage 2, there may be, furthermore, provided a skid 38,

which may extend into the fuselage through an opening 39. At one side of the opening 39 and on the interior of the fuselage there may be provided a transverse plate 40 Figs. 5, 6) having a flange 41 for attachment to the interior of the fuselage 2 in any suitable manner. Said plate 40 may be roughly in V-shaped form, so as to receive attachments for the skid 38 in the center thereof. Near its lower portion, said plate 40 may have en eye-bolt 41*, or the like, passing through or otherwise associated with the same, and pivoted to the eye-bolt there may be a clamping band 42, which may extend around the skid 38. Attached to the upper central portion of the plate 40 there'may be, furthermore, provided two supports 43 and 44 which may be tubular and may be connected at their upper ends to a block 45, or the like, which may have two pairs of wings 46, or the like, which may be provided with bolts 47, or similar means, passing through or otherwise connected to the same. One of said bolts 47 may be connected by, e. 9., a cable 48 and a rod 49, preferably having an adjustable link 50, to the tail post 17. The other bolt 47 may be connected by a plurality of rubber exerciser cords 51 to a clamping band 52, or the like, which may surround the upper end of the skid 38. Attached to said clamping band 52 there may be also laterally-directed rubber exerciser cords 53,the extreme ends of which may be connected to rings 54, or the like, whichmay be carried by, e. 9., hooks 55 shown as located on plates 56 in a beam 57, which may extend across the fuselage and may be filled in with a pair of abutting wooden beams 58. which may extend beyond the fuselage (Fig. 8), to strengthen the stabilizers 29, 30. The plates 56 may be bolted to the fuselage. There may be also provided similar plates 59 at the upper sides of the hollow beam 57 which may be similarly secured to the fuselage. At the two sides of the hollow beam 57 there may be strengthening strips 60 which may extend around the interior of the fuselage.

Except as implied by the foregoing the aeroplane operates in the usual manner. However, the transverse strengthening plate 7 adequately strengthens the fuselage 2 in a transverse direction, also in a longitudinal direction as it tends to prevent the collapse of the fuselage due to bending forces created by conditions in flight or by shock of landing. Strengthening strips such as the strips 16 (Fig. 2) around the interior of the. fuselage may'be used for the effect, furthermore, of strengthening the fuselage transversely, as well as longitudinally. Furthermore, by protecting the edges of the fuselage at the openings 5, the portions of the fuselage at this point are strengthened, while at the same time the operators of the aeroplane are protected from injury by the edges of the fuselage. In the embodiment shown in order to change the direction of the aeroplane laterally, the rudder 26 is moved to the right or to the left, as desired, by means of the cables 28. When it is desired to rise or to descend, the elevators 33 and 34 will be operated by means of the cables 37 so as to bring about this result. The entire construction at the rear end of the fuselage is very much strengthened by the presence of the tail post 20 and the block 17 in which it is carried. while at the same tim the proper supports are provided for the rudder and adiacent parts. By locating the skid 38 in the manner above described, so that its forward end extends into the interior of the fuselage 2, and is supported in the manner indicated, the skid 38 and the parts attaching the skid 38 to the aeroplane create a minimum of resistance to motion through the air, while at the same time said skid 38 affords an effective means for absorbing shocks when the aeroplane is landing-by reason of the presence of the yielding cords 51 and 53. The cords 53 have the effect also of retaining the skid 38 in a central or desired position.

Vhile I have described my invention as to render the exposed surfaces of the mentioned elements continuous.

3. An aeroplane fuselage having a continuous surface and a vertical tail post at the rear end thereof extending above the top of the fuselage and a block so interposed between the fuselage and the tail post as to render the total exterior surfaces of all these elements continuous.

4. An aeroplane fuselage having a continuous surface and a vertical tail post at the rear end thereof, a rudder pivoted to the tail post, and a block so interposed between the fuselage and the tail post, as to render the exposed surfaces of the mentioned elements continuous.

5. An aeroplane fuselage having a continuous surface and a vertical tail post at the rear end thereof extending above the top of the fuselage, a rudder pivoted to the tail post, and a block so interposed between the fuselage and the tail post, as to render the total exterior surfaces of all these elements continuous.

6. An aeroplane fuselage having a continuous surface and a tail post at the rear end thereof. connected to a vertical fin, and a block so interposed between the fuselage and the tail post that the exposed surfaces of the mentioned parts are continuous.

An aeroplane fuselage having a continuous surface and a vertical tail post at the rear end thereof extending above the top of the fuselage and connected to a vertical fin thereon, a rudder pivoted to the tail post, and a block so interposed between the fuselage and the tail post so as to render the total exterior surfaces of all these elements continuous.

In testimony that I claim have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES F. WILLARD.

the foregoing I 

